Your Head-to-Toe Get-Gorgeous Guide for Summer

If your warm-weather readiness kit contains nothing but a swimsuit and a steamy novel, read on. You need a serious revamping, which thankfully we've covered for you. We talked to research scientists and health and beauty experts across the country for the must-do tips on making this your prettiest summer ever. Consider this your must-do summer beauty checklist.    

Give Your Locks Some Love
Though you won't do it intentionally, you are going to abuse your hair this summer. You'll likely swim, twist it up into messy topknots, or maybe even decide to go a few (or even several) shades lighter.

The best thing you can do for your locks is invest in hats you'd love to wear -- then pull them on religiously in the sun, says Michael Uim, a stylist at Ted Gibson Salon in New York City.

For those occasions when hats aren't appropriate or convenient, a little preventive action goes a long way.

"If you're going into salt or chlorinated water, wet your hair with clean water first and apply a leave-in conditioner," Uim urges. "This will act like a barrier to keep the elements from penetrating." On land-lounging days, a UV-protective spray will help prevent tress distress and color fading. Most effective sprays: Redken UV Rescue Daily Sun Milk ($13; redken.com for salon locations) with SPF 12; and Biolage SunSorials Protective Hair oil ($14; biolage.com) to help repair damage caused by sun, chlorine and salt water.

As for color itself, Uim suggests giving your locks a break now -- before the heat is really on -- by skipping bleach (which weakens hair) for a few weeks before heading outdoors in the summer sun. A deep-conditioning treatment every week will hydrate and condition your hair, making it less likely to snap or fray. Once your hair is in tip-top shape (that includes trimming it every four to six weeks), you can start with your salon highlights or single-process color again.

Switch Your Skin-Care Routine
"Warm weather means more sunlight and more humidity, both of which can create an environment in which bacteria thrive -- and that can lead to acne," says Debra Jaliman, M.D., a New York City dermatologist. "The right skin-care tweaks can help."

Switch from a creamy cleanser to a foamy one, and swap your cream moisturizer for a lighter lotion or gel formula. "There's so much moisture in the air in the summer, your skin is naturally more hydrated, so less-heavy formulas make sense," Jaliman explains.

If acne is an issue, your skin-care arsenal should be stocked with pore-clearing chemical exfoliants. Morning and night, use a cleanser and toner with glycolic or salicylic acid, says Min-Wei Christine Lee, M.D., cosmetic dermatologie surgeon and director of the East Bay Laser and Skin Care Center in Walnut Creek, Calif.

"Pads containing these are convenient for wiping your face when it starts to feel oily," Lee adds. Editor's favorite: Neutrogena PureGlow Daily Cleansing Cushions for combination/oily skin ($8; at drugstores), dual-sided pads with salicylic acid on one side and face cleanser on the other (just add water for a foamy wash). Dry skin, on the other hand, may not be so tolerant of twice-daily alpha-hydroxy acid use, so use it only once a day, or if skin feels dry or flaky, every other day.

Wax in ALL the Right Areas
Hair-removal pros love waxing for its long-lasting results. But a
monthly salon smear can be pricey and time-consuming. Plus, the sting
is unavoidable, self-inflicted or otherwise, so why not learn to do it
yourself?

Cindy Barshop, owner of New York's hair-removal haven Completely Bare, offers these how-to's for at-home success:

• Start several days out by thoroughly exfoliating the area to be waxed each day. (Use any face or body scrub.)
• On waxing day, wait until skin is completely dry and dust the
  area with baby powder to absorb excess moisture and prevent the wax
  from sticking to skin.
• Next, smear wax on in the direction of hair growth, and press it firmly.
• Finally, pull skin taut and yank off wax in the opposite direction hair grows.
• Apply ice immediately to numb the area.

Try all-in-one kits such as Gigi All Purpose Honee Microwave Formula ($20; gigihonee.com),
which includes wax, applicator sticks, muslin strips, cleansers and a
lotion. We also recommend Sally Hansen Express Wax Hair Removal Kit For
Face & Body ($10; at drugstores); it has a scented wax with
nourishing cocoa butter. If you're a first timer, Barshop suggests
perfecting your technique on your legs before venturing into the more
difficult bikini zone.

Tip: If you have your period, wait a week to wax. "Skin is more
sensitive during menstruation and waxing can hurt more," Barshop
explains. "If you have no choice, do small patches at a time to lessen
the ouch effect."

Start Loving Antioxidants
"Ninety percent of visible aging is
caused by the sun," says Kerry M. Hanson, Ph.D., senior research
scientist in the department of chemistry at the University of
California, Riverside. "Since free radicals are believed to play a huge
role in aging, our goal is to figure out how to stop them in their
tracks."

Topical antioxidants have been revered for their ability to
repair skin that's been damaged by free radicals, highly reactive
oxygen molecules created by ultraviolet light and pollution that can
"infiltrate" skin. Now scientists have discovered that when added to
sunblock, certain skin-friendly vitamins (and antioxidants) like C and
E can actually help prevent damage from occurring in the first place.

"Our studies show that sunscreen alone reduces the level of free
radicals in the skin consistent with the value of the SPF," explains
Hanson, who conducted the research at the University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign. "But just like no sunscreen blocks 100 percent of
ultraviolet (UV) light, these topical antioxidants can't block all free
radicals."

What you can do to help your skin: Look for a sunscreen with both
vitamins C and E for maximum protection like Aveeno Continuous
Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 30 for Face ($9; at drugstores) with
hydrating soy proteins and vitamins A, C and E.

Fortify Your Fingernails (and Toenails)
Exposure to sun and
chlorine robs nails of their natural hue, turning them yellow. A few
coats of polish provide a temporary protective layer, but who wants to
be locked into a weekly manicure during this carefree season?

A chemical reaction occurs in the nail's natural enamel when
exposed to UV rays, triggering the yellow hue. Protective UV topcoats
prevent the reaction from occuring, says Jan Arnold, San Diego
co-founder of Creative Nail Design. We suggest Orly Sunscreen For Nails
($7; orlybeauty.com) and Barielle Ultra Speed Dry Manicure Extender ($16; barielle.com);
both keep nails from yellowing. Arnold also recommends rubbing vitamin
E or cuticle oil into fingernails, toenails and cuticles to prevent
moisture loss.

"The effects are cumulative," she explains. "Each time you apply the
oil, it drives deeper into the nail bed and forces water to stay in. It
literally has a waterproofing effect."

Jenna McCarthy is a freelance writer in Santa Barbara, Calif.

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